The present invention relates to quickly attaching a goggle to and releasing a goggle from a helmet.
Goggles have been available in the market place for many years. Goggles can be attached to a user""s headwear such as a fireman""s or construction worker""s helmet. Other goggles are used by sports enthusiasts such as motorcycle riders, pilots, skydivers and skiers.
For some uses, such as a prolonged activity like skiing, a goggle can be attached to and detached from the helmet at the leisure of the user. Since the user knows when a particular activity will begin, and knows that he or she will most likely wear the goggles throughout the duration of the event or activity, the need for a quickly attachable and releasable goggle is minimal.
For other uses, such as fighting fires, there is a need to quickly attach and release the goggles, often when the user is busy doing something else and has only one hand free. Some previous mounting systems have required two hands to join two mating parts together. Some other systems require the dexterity of an un-gloved hand to attach or release the goggle from the helmet. In emergency scenarios, removing one""s gloves can be a waste of precious time, or dangerous if in the vicinity of sharp or burning objects. Also, a goggle is often desired as eye protection by fire fighters and rescue personnel because a face shield alone does not provide the level of eye protection required in an environment filled with smoke or airborne debris.
Therefore, there is a need for a goggle mounting system that permits quick attachment to and release of a goggle from the helmet with one hand and while wearing gloves.
The present invention provides system, and methods for quickly attaching a goggle to a helmet and releasing the goggle from the helmet. Such systems and methods are desirable in activities of uncertain duration or which may involve abrupt changes in the type of activity or physical environment, such as fire fighting and emergency rescue. The present invention is simple to use, can be used with a helmet having a face shield, and can be readily used by someone wearing gloves. It also permits quick and simple assembly during manufacture of the helmet or field retrofit.
In one aspect of the invention a goggle mounting system is provided comprising a retaining post that is mounted directly to a section of helmet, such as the brim. The retaining post has a portion that is of a greater cross section that the remainder of the post. A strap that is attachable to a goggle at one end has an opening in the other end, such as a grommet. The grommet is sized to pass interferingly over the greater cross section portion of the retaining post. The greater cross section portion may be a resilient member, such as a serrated plastic washer, that deforms upon passage of the grommet over it, or conversely, in an alternative embodiment, the greater cross section portion may be comprised of a relatively inflexible material, such as a plastic bead, and the grommet would be comprised of a resilient material so that it can deform, or stretch, upon passage over it. The post is mounted to the helmet by a variety of well known fasteners.
A particular embodiment of the invention comprises a substantially cylindrical retaining post with a substantially axial hole through it. A resilient washer, such as a serrated washer, is mounted to one end of the retaining post by a fastener. The same fastener may be sued to secure the retaining post to the helmet, or a second fastener may be used to secure the retaining post.
Another aspect of the invention is the combination of the retaining post and strap described above, and a goggle. A further embodiment includes a helmet.